Driving with manual transmission questions

Its been a while since I’ve driven a stick, but I think this piece of advice was the best I got when I was learning on my first car. Every clutch is different, so take some time to feel where it engages on your vehicle. It’ll help you build up that muscle memory and lead to smoother, faster shifts in no time.

I will say you probably should have started with a beater car

 

Really want this on my own truck. Feels like I could be shifting ~50% faster (and probably smoother) if half my time wasn't spent waiting for the pedal to catch up to my foot when engaging a gear.

 

our trucks have significant 'muting' to the drivetrain through both hardware and software. the ADM addresses the chunkiest muting in the clutchline. the software side is muted through the factory tune, so check out Coyoza as well... the biggest difference on that tune even versus the other aftermarket tunes is how helpful the 1-2 shift is on the MTs. so, I'm suggesting you consider both as a package deal, especially if the 1-2 shift challenge isn't letting up after nearly a month.

 

Does the ADM help with cold weather actuation? All of the manual transmission vehicles I owned, the clutch pedal was slow to rebound until things started coming up to temperature. The Tacoma was the only one that I had to get my foot under pedal and pry it up. I'm glad winter only lasts 7 months around here. Lol

 

Some say that it does and others say that it doesn't. I think I only felt it once, but we don't get cold here.

 

I stalled a customers 3rd gen a few months ago. would not recommend doing that again.


like others have said you should probably test drive other manuals because they're all different

 

Made a difference where I'm at.

 

My first motorcycle was a Honda CL 360 air cooled, I think 1976. Top speed was 75? Rode it on the NJTP a few times and definitely stalled it more than I’d like to admit and dropped it a couple of times too.

Currently working on learning my brother in law’s 10spd Freightliner.

OP, kudos to you, never stop learning, high expectations lead to high achievements. Find some nice paved twisty roads somewhere with a few gentle grades and practice your shift points and turns together.

Took me a few months to warm up to the specifics of the truck. Each MT is a little different.

 

Well... I just took a 30 min cruise around the neighbourhood doing mostly 1st-2nd shifting and honestly seemed to solve both problems. Mostly just taking my sweet ass time and also having a tiny bit of steady gas while shifting 1st-2nd prevented the slow down issue... still worry about my clutch for that but it seemed to be real smooth. I'm no longer a danger to society, hooray
Probably the lack of stress of not having to be somewhere/no traffic helped a lot lol
Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions and hope this thread helps any other new stick drivers!
<3

 

1-2 is funky in this truck but I've gotten use to it over time. I have done the accumulator mod this helps alot with all shift. 1st gear I always shift at 3k clutch, shift, wait for rpm to drop, release clutch. Never a problem this way.

2-1 don't do at any more than at a crawl.

 

Weightier is better too imo. Currently using the TRD pro shift knob and really like it, but it has zero heft to it and that's annoying.


Also, after something like 12 years driving MT on and off I found out my understanding of engine braking was incorrect. I thought it was simply letting the engine slow the car, but it turns out you can also hit the brakes while in gear. I always thought that was a big no-no and hit the clutch any time the brakes were active...

 

Love the feel of the TRD Pro shift knob, plus it adds 10 horsepower. Never thought about having any weight to it but now that I think about it, my 84 C10 had some bulk to that shifting mechanism... Diesel too...

See someone once told me that you had to clutch and break at the same time and to me that never made sense so... I never did it. Always left the car or trucking gear until I was almost at a complete stop. Shift out just before the shuddering starts

 

@Nuova, I have a 2020 Taco with the V-6 and manual trans. I've been driving a manual for fifty+ yrs. I was taught this. 1st. gear has the most mechanical advantage of the forward speeds, also the poorest fuel economy. It is just to get the vehicle moving from a standstill. We're not racing so don't wind it out, get out of first as soon as possible. I don't know off the top of my head what speed or RPM as I do not look at the tach or speedo. I just get it rolling and then to second and then onward and upward... I don't wind out any gear. My goal is to get into high as quickly as reasonably possible.

One more thing, I would refrain from downshifting to slow down. It is much easier and cheaper to change the brakes than it is to change the clutch... Have any questions? message me. Happy driving.

 

IMO buying a manual is the best way to learn. My ‘05 takes some finesse to shift smoothly. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of what works best in time…it’s only been a few days.

(I have no experience with 3rd gens.)

The way my Dad explained 1st gear to me was that it’s a taking-off gear. I rarely shift back to first unless I’ve stopped or barely moving and know I’m going to be taking off again.

 

I down shift to slow a lot and try to match RPMs. I just did my brakes for the first time since I owned it and the clutch is original at 170K.

 

One of the biggest errors I see with MT drivers is the set up of their driving position.

Driving an MT is active unlike an AT, how/where you sit in an MT is very different than AT.

 

Same for me on my FJ....did my brakes at 185k mi and truth be told all I really needed to do was replace the pads, rotors were stjll over 50%.

On the OEM clutch stiĺl creeping on 200k mi, downshift, tow a lot....heck even shift with out the clutch .

 

Total kudos to you for jumping into the manual world with both feet. No fear!

I see you're in Ontario, a lot of which is flat. Great for learning a manual. But, I strongly suggest you get prepared for the hills if you haven't already. Going up hills, especially starting from a stop, definitely takes practice. It's a different, or more advanced, skill set than driving a manual in the flats. You've got to be quicker and relatively precise.

 

My 4'9" grandmother was a pro at starting on hills in an old Jeep she had. She would have loved the "hill holding" feature the Tacos have...

 

hills? how 'bout ice?